New Leonard Cohen Album Thanks For The Dance Nov.22

Thanks For The Dance https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XW6QSZQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_SFmHDbJAM8MFY

Amazon pre-order is live!

 

A quote from LC from a few years ago. Looking forward to hearing how this sounds.

"We had another song on the album, which was called 'Happens to the Heart,' which will be on the next album. It's a very good lyric, a very good tune, but we didn't nail it."

 

Some of you might find it interesting that while Cohen published the version of "The Goal" that we hear him recite on the track in Book of Longing (2006), he also published (on line) an earlier version of the poem:

THE GOAL

I can't leave my house
or answer the phone.
I'm going down again
but feeling no pain.

And that's the great change
and mercy to boot --
the enemy's dead
and I don't have to shoot.

But as for the fall:
it was writ long ago
and I can't stop it now ---
I'm rain and I'm snow.

And I settle at last
on the ground of my soul
in shapes of the past
and shapes that unfold.

I sit in my chair
and I look at the street --
the enemy's gone
and his absence is sweet!

I move with the leaves
I shine with the chrome
I'm almost alive
I'm almost at home.

But please do not follow
I've nothing to teach:
except that the goal
falls short of the reach.

March 29, 1998​

I look forward to hearing more details about just when the material on the new album was recorded and how the tracks come together (or course, I'm looking forward even more to just hearing it all)!

L.

 

so, the album would appear to be about 29 minutes long it seems.

 

However, he certainly has been covered many times.... ;

 

Quality over quantity, hopefully.

 

I always loved the cover of I'm Your Man. Classic Leonard.

 

Complete say, according to this at least:

Leonard Cohen gets one last album in: Posthumously completed set due this fall

 

I promise I’ll shut up about this now, but I just saw this image in another article - this was what I was hoping for (re: cover):

 

Now this I found interesting (from the official announcement):

'Back in Los Angeles Jennifer Warnes, one of the keepers of Leonard’s flame, sang background vocals.'

No word yet on whether this applies to just one song or more, but Jennifer's involvement is welcome news.

 

What a great photo of a man bathed in grace and dignity.

Best Wishes,
David

 

The "vocals" were mostly recorded in Leonard's final months by his son Adam before the legend passed away, often in bed from what I understand. They knew he didn't have much time remaining and this little project could be one final thing shared between father and son. Adam and some outside producers have been working on finishing the songs since Leonard left this realm.

I'm cautiously optimistic about hearing this album. You Want It Darker was such a convincing farewell album, you only hope this last statement turns out fine.

 

Think You Want it Darker will still be regarded as his true final album? This feels more like a coda.

Adore The Goal.

 

I didn't expect Jennifer to be involved in a release like that, given her wonderful interviews regarding Leonard. She avoided all the tribute festivities - but nobody involved in the organization probably thought of her and Judy anyway.

She mentioned in some interviews that she had recorded harmony vocals for the "You Want It Darker"-album, but both she and Leonard thought that her voice or her energy didn't really suit the material this time. So maybe the folks behind this new album have just used material from those sessions. Leonard's approval and opinion of her work was always very important to her, so I don't know what to make of this. Looking forward to a statement from her.

 

Yes. "Coda" seems like it will be the right word, although we be able to hear for ourselves soon enough. The track list suggests that with only one or maybe two exceptions (probably just one), the texts have already been published. It's hard to say just yet how much of the music was created by Cohen or even in collaboration with him before he passed. "The Goal" is beautiful, and, as Adam Cohen's comments suggest, the music certainly makes use of elements from the sonic pallet of Cohen's songs and arrangements over the years, but it's more a poem recited over a musical backdrop than a song proper. It's a very good poem recited over a musical backdrop, though! I could listen to Cohen recite poetry all day.

L.

 

Prices for the vinyl are out of this world (perhaps appropriate in this case): Sound of Vinyl (UK) = US$47, Amazon (France) = US$55.

This for a 30 minute single vinyl disc. Hopefully they will drop. It's hard to argue that Leonard needs the money.

 

Darker was the very perfect sign-off, bur LC had considerable help with the musical side of that album....(In his whole life, he didn't normally need help with tunes, but that final album had more music credits than anything else in his whole career, suggesting that he, understandably, wasn't really in a position to work out tunes at that point...)

I do worry if this follow-up album will be just recordings of poetry readings, with music added, post-mortem; not really a true LC album....

 

This article gives some fresh detail and raises hope that at least some of the newly presented material will be songs as distinct from poetry readings altho if it's as effective and emotive as The Goal, I'm good with that...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/leonard-cohen-new-album-1.5292577

 

....so Daniel Lanois is also on it?

Likewise I’m hoping this is a *musical* album rather than poetry...a couple of songs that are “spoken” with a musical background would be interesting and I’m sure would work well...but I’m hopeful for a record with melodies and a beat complimenting the lyrics.

 

Likewise the cd is £12.99....seems like a lot of new stuff on cd is quite expensive going into the holiday season...

The new Dylan set is surprisingly affordable.

 

We've all heard spoken-word poetry albums with music added later. They're ... sometimes mostly fine.

 

Rough Trade in the UK are offering the vinyl version of the new album - remember, this is a relatively short single disc of music - for a staggering GBP 44.99. That's USD$ 54, Can$ 73. I really can't understand this. Either it's a mistake or it's an insult to Cohen's devoted fans.

 

I've heard The Goal. If there's one person I could happily listen to while they recite their poetry, it's Leonard Cohen.

 

Pre-ordered this from Amazon.ca last evening.

Looking forward to it!

 

I think The Goal is great. I don't care if it's his poetry set to music. That's enough for me. I'm really looking forward this.